It’s not difficult to explain why I chose to write about snowboarders inOn the Slopes (the MC in My Summer Roommate is a snowboarder too, btw). Snowboarding is more than just a sport. It’s exciting, inventive, dangerous. It takes a special sort of person to blaze down the steep slopes and jump the high kickers.The kind of person that makes a terrific character for a story.

Obviously, I needed to do a lot of research because I’ve never been a professional snowboarder or any sort of a snowboarder for that matter, but I love research. Especially when it entails watching hours upon hours of fun and dangerous snowboarding tricks.

That sobered her up. She hadn’t meant what she said, but she must have been closer to the truth than she thought. “Christ, Sam. It could’ve waited. She flew in from the US to see you.”

He waved his hand. “She’ll be fine on her own. She always has been. She wants to meet you, though.” He added, “It might be because I went on and on about you for the past three days.”

Charlise wanted to weep with all the warm feelings his words had awakened in her. Instead, she said, “I’d be honored to meet her. From what you told me, she sounds like an amazing woman.”

Sam cleared his throat after he sipped his espresso. “Charlie, about that night—”

“Which one?”

He had the decency to blush at her words. “At the club.”

He took another sip. At this rate, his tiny cup would be empty within seconds. His nerves were showing more than she’d anticipated.

“I have no words to tell you how sorry I am. You hurt me, and I went and did something stupid just to hurt you back. I would take it all back in a second if I could.”

“So, you ended up at her place, did you?”

His silence answered her question. The jolt of pain in her chest shocked her. But then again, it shouldn’t have. She’d been thinking of Sam and love in the same context when she woke up alone in her dark bedroom. How had he felt when he awoke next to the beautiful stranger? Or hadn’t he stayed the night? God, she didn’t want to know.